Sacrament of penance offers a cure for spiritual blindness

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Scripture prompts many questions. In curing the blindness in St. Mark’s Gospel story (Mark 10:46-52), is Jesus reminding us to open our spiritual as well as our physical eyes to see the wonders that we are, and what our eternal destiny is if we ask him? Was the blind man really going to confession? Would you answer “Yes” if you were asked if you enjoy going to confession?

Or is St. Mark showing us a grace we may not think about much? How often do we bless God for specifically giving us eyesight? Will you take joy in a tree today or caress a flower? Will you express love for your loved ones upon seeing them today?

There are many causes for blindness beyond physical blindness. Distraction after distraction may keep us from focusing on spiritual, financial, psychological, or intellectual blindness, all forms of blindness that from time to time may cause us blindness of conscience. Fortunately we have eye doctors to help cure physical blindness.

More importantly for proper eternal vision, Jesus gave us the sacrament of reconciliation and priests who can help cure what we might call blindness of the human condition which, for whatever reason — apathy, inconvenience, lack of trust, fear or embarrassment — may move us unwittingly away from the peaceful joy of God.

Those of us who may be hard to move should note that back in the seventh century B.C., Jeremiah gave us the proverb, “No one is so blind as he who will not see.” We should hope that we are not “willing” to be “so blind.” We want to cooperate with Christ’s fundamental reason for becoming man and to be reconciled with God.

Priests such as Saints Philip Neri, Padre Pio and John Vianney are well known for helping to refocus people through confession. John Vianney would spend 16 to 18 hours daily hearing confessions. Late in his life, 20,000 people visited St. John Vianney’s parish annually hoping for his help.

God’s grace and the priest in confession bring Christ who said, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

We need to consider whether we are allowing the light of Christ’s act of reconciliation, i.e., peace with the Blessed Trinity, to help us pierce any darkness or foreboding of conscience we are experiencing and to show us the way into the brilliant joy beyond our human horizons.

***Deacon Bill Masapollo is a retired permanent deacon in St. Norbert Parish, Paoli.